Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Stargate: Atlantis or SG-1 or any of it's characters. Neither do I own Privateer Press, Games Workshop, or any of their characters.
Author's Note: This piece was written purely to get an idea out of my head. It has turned into something more, and I am close to completing the entire thing. It may take a while since I'm also working on another SGA story, "Atlantis Prelude." As always, review and let me know what you think.
The mission could not have gone better. Major Evan Lorne considered this as he followed his tired men to the mess hall. They'd been back on Atlantis long enough to shower and debrief, but all of them were hungry. Reconnaissance missions worked up an appetite, especially when they left before most of the expedition's alpha crew awoke.
"Check it out." Chris, the man who had been on his team the longest, nodded toward a table in the corner. Lorne followed his nod. Dr. Keller sat across from a dark-haired woman, but it wasn't Keller who drew the attention. Or the woman. It was her hair. Long and dark, it hung in large curls to her waist. Lorne's eyebrows rose. No matter what she looked like, that hair had to be an amazing sight when blowing in the wind.
Jason Miller, the newest man on the team, frowned. "Wait a minute. I know that hair."
Lorne turned, intent on asking him to clarify his statement, but Jason had already headed across the mess hall. Lorne could do nothing but follow.
Miller stopped at the end of the women's table. "Excuse me?" When the dark-haired woman turned, his eyebrows jumped to his hairline. "Gracie?"
"Jason! Hey!" Her voice was low, with a mellow quality. She rose and gave Miller a hug. "What are you doing here?"
Miller laughed. "I could ask you the same thing." Then, he noticed Lorne's presence. "Grace, meet my CO, Major Lorne. Sir, this is a lifelong friend of mine, Dr. Grace Edgington."
Lorne stuck out his hand, but he instantly wanted to find a canvas and paint. "A pleasure."
"Likewise." Dr. Edgington had light blue eyes to go with the chocolate brown hair that had captured his attention. Several dark curls framed her face, and she spoke with a faint British accent.
Miller grinned. "You two should get along well." He turned to Lorne. "Gracie's quite the artist."
Suddenly, Lorne connected the dots. When he found out about Lorne's artwork, Miller had announced that he'd dated an artist in high school. "The figurine?"
"That's Gracie's work."
Dr. Edgington blushed. "I just paint as a hobby."
"So, how's your brother?"
"Still working for Games Workshop in England." Dr. Edgington turned the full force of her eyes on Lorne. "Garrett is my twin brother. He's the artist."
Miller didn't give Lorne a chance to comment. "And how in the world did you land on Atlantis?"
Edgington glanced at Keller. "Relief work. Jennifer and I worked together for a time in the Sudan. She's the one who got me this job."
Lorne glanced at Keller and noticed the nod toward the door. He answered with a nod of his own, this time to the other two men on his team who were already settled some distance away with lunch. He looked at Miller. "I'm eating."
Edgington smiled graciously. "It was nice to meet you."
Lorne walked away with one thought on his mind. Now he understood why Miller still talked about Grace Edgington like she was the best thing that had happened to him. He'd only spoken with the woman for a few minutes, and already she'd become unforgettable.
Jason was on Atlantis. Grace settled back to her late lunch with mixed feelings. When she and Jason had dated, things had been vastly different. He had not gone off to war. She had not seen the effects of war in refugee camps during her time with the Red Cross. Now, she saw the changes in him as well as the years. War was hard on anyone, and war with aliens was worse.
Jason returned with a tray of his own. "So, your work with the Red Cross landed you here?"
"Yes." Grace suppressed the sigh. Jason usually opened a conversation by repeating something she said. "I'm still adjusting."
He sobered. "So am I."
"How long have you been here?"
"About three months." He ate a few bites. "They've been hard months. We lost one of Gate Team One's members just before she gave birth, and then the major nearly died when a booby-trapped building caved in on him."
"But he's okay?"
"Lorne bounces back pretty well." Jason shook his head. "I wonder how he and Sheppard do it."
"Sheppard?"
"Gate Team One's leader, Lt. Col. John Sheppard. He's second-in-command here."
Grace nodded. "So the lady they lost? How is everyone coping with that?"
Jason blinked. "Grace, I forget you're used to death and destruction. No, she was captured by Michael and his hybrids. They found her, and the baby is fine."
"Good." They fell silent, and Grace wondered how to continue the conversation. So many years between them, and all she could say was that Jason was a good man. When he'd gone off to join the Air Force, she hadn't pined for him. She'd missed the times they had together, but she knew she didn't love him even if he loved her. And he'd said so in all of his letters.
Grace emptied her water bottle. "Well, I hate to go, but. . . ."
Jason nodded. "I understand. Duty calls."
"Yeah." Grace gathered her tray and left the mess hall. She hated to leave Jason like that, but they had nothing to talk about. In the infirmary, Keller put her to work, and that took up the rest of the day.
~TBC~
A/N: So, not the greatest chapter, but it picks up. I promise. This story started as an idea that wouldn't leave me alone and became so much more. As always, review and let me know what you think.
